Season Less Than 24 Hours Away

Here we stand just a day away from the beginning of a much-anticipated 2010-2011 Saint Joseph's college basketball season. The men's team tips off Friday evening at 7:30 against Western Kentucky at the Hagan Arena. There is quite a bit of mystery, intrigue, and excitement surrounding this year's team.

The roster is composed of five freshmen, three sophomores, a junior, and two seniors. On the official Saint Joseph's athletics site, in the game notes for tomorrow, a list of probable starters was released. The probable starters include three of the talented freshmen, a sophomore, and a lone upperclassman. In the backcourt, sophomore Tay Jones and freshman Langston Galloway look set to start. On the wing, freshman Daryus Quarles is the probable starter, which is quite an accomplishment considering he didn't even play for his high school last year due to a New Jersey high school transfer rule. The frontcourt will be senior Idris Hilliard and freshman CJ Aiken. Galloway, although a freshman, brings with him the maturity and physical presence of an upperclassmen. Quarles and Aiken, while noticeably thinner than just about everyone they match up with this season, also possess freakish athleticism and a serious skill-set.

While this is not set in stone, it seems more likely than not that these will be your starting five tomorrow evening. While obviously a frighteningly young lineup, it also possesses athleticism that was simply not on Hawk Hill last year.

Check back Saturday for a full recap of the game, including a list of recruits in the building and other noteworthy findings.

A new era in Saint Joseph's basketball begins tomorrow night. Buckle up.